ShutterstockA free, two-day, family-fun event on May 20-21, will celebrate the launch

Liverpool’s Albert Dock is launching digital heritage trail that will take visitors on a tour of the Grade I Listed attraction and unearth its fascinating hidden secrets.

To be rolled out later this month, Albert Dock Hidden Histories invites visitors of all ages to discover this iconic landmark in a way like never before – either at the Dock through their mobile device or at home on their PC.

A free, two-day, family-fun event on May 20-21, will celebrate the launch, and see tour guides available onsite to help visitors as they embark on the trail, bringing their own unique insights to the experience.

There will also be a selection of free fairground rides to entertain children, while visitors can join the RIBA Liverpool City Tours guides for a one-hour tour of the Dock on both days to learn more about its fascinating history and magnificent architecture.

She said: “We wanted to create a modern experience that celebrated the past, present and future of Albert Dock, and one that tells its story in a way we haven’t done before. Visitors will love the trail - it is fun, entertaining, user-friendly, and importantly, multi-layered, providing new and unknown facts about the Dock for the very first time.

"You think you know all there is to know about Albert Dock? Well, you will be surprised at what you find out!”

Funded by Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), designed by Wide Sky Design, and curated by National Museums Liverpool (NML), Albert Dock Hidden Histories marks the digitisation of the Dock's heritage for the first time in its history.

Albert Dock is situated on Liverpool’s iconic UNESCO World Heritage waterfront, and is home to the largest group of Grade I listed buildings in the country.

Over six million people visited in 2016.

Hidden Histories will allow users to explore various ‘dock stop’ icons across a 3D map in order to unlock hidden information and photographs; and then physically go find them to discover other fascinating facts and features.

They will also be able to swap between present and past views to reveal the very different lives of the Dock over time.

Ian Murphy, deputy director of Merseyside Maritime Museum, added: “It’s been great to curate this trail, as Albert Dock played such a vital role in Liverpool’s development as one of the world’s greatest port cities, and has a wonderful story to tell.

"Merseyside Maritime Museum was the first public building to open at the revitalised Albert Dock in 1986, but it had another life before the cultural, leisure and retail outlets that we are so familiar with today made it their home.

“This trail will enable visitors to Albert Dock to find out much more about its history over the past 170 years, and helping in its development means that we can continue to engage with new generations to help ensure Albert Dock’s story is told, celebrated and remembered for generations to come.”

Advance booking is essential for the RIBA Liverpool City Tours as places are limited. Tours run on Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21, at 12pm and 2pm, beginning outside the entrance to the Beatles Story.